- Each group member’s name:
- Orsolya Csizmár
- Katrin Wiesinger
- Macarena Morilla Dominguez
- Antonio Luis Verde Lopez
- Original text (red: corrections/suggestions from the other group)
...
Joining the EU was the best move that Germany ever made. Germany is, together with (alongside) Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg and the Netherlands a founding member of the European Union. One of the most important individuals for the foundation movement was Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of Germany. He changed the European history more than any other person did by being was responsible for reconciliation with France and signed, together with the French general Charles de Gaulle, a treaty of friendship. This treaty became a milestone for integration in Europe. The reasons for creating the EU were manifold (correct???) but one of the most important aspects (aims/purposes) was to prevent that the disasters of the first half of the 20th century, namely World War I and II, could repeat. (too long)
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Germany is Europe’s largest economy ("Germany's economy is the largest economy in Europe and the fifth greatest....") and the fifth largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity. It is the only big euro zone country with a nearly balanced budget. An important factor (cause) for this was the creation of a low-wage sector and a flexible labour market. The rate of youth unemployment with 8.1% is low in comparison with other EU countries such as Greece with 55.3%. Germany is competitive in world markets and a leading exporter of vehicles and machinery. Every year about 70 billion euros is spent on research. This is more than any other European country. Although the German economy is very powerful, the country suffers from serious problems such as low fertility rates and a declining net immigration. These facts mentioned above show that Germany is economically the strongest country in Europe.
When the EU was established it was particularly important for Germany to improve its reputation by belonging to (becoming member of) the European Union rather than being defined by its history. Germany´s situation has changed tremendously since then ("Ever since, Germany's Situation has ..."/"Germany's situation has changed tremendously ever since...") as it has become one of the main driving forces behind the EU both in economic and political terms. Although the peripheral countries of the euro zone are facing hard times, Germany - thanks to its economic stability - does not have to suffer ("does not necessarily have to suffer..."/"will not necessarily suffer from") from serious losses. Unlike Brits, the majority (57%) of Germans would vote to stay in the EU in case of a referendum according to a recent poll, whereas only 25% would vote to leave the EU. Another interesting statistic is (shows) that almost two thirds (59%) of Germans consider their country influential in the EU. Concerning the future of the European Union, not only Brits but also Germans are rather pessimistic, as (can be misunderstood) more than a half (54%) of those surveyed Germans claims to see a negative future ahead of the Union.
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- Feedback summary from other groups
The feedback from the other group (Lisa and Vanessa) consisted of various suggestions. Their comments were really helpful and we realized that most of our mistakes could be connected to the inappropriate use of words due to improper register, false collocations or word repetition. Besides, we also had problems with the logical structure, as some of the sentences were too long, caused misunderstanding or they were not linked correctly. Creating a proper topic sentence and concluding sentence was also problematic sometimes. But apart from mistakes concerning the use of language and structure, our main weakness was supporting the basic statement with all paragraphs. Unfortunately, it did not turn out early enough. We did our best to improve and rewrite the text but it did not work as good as it could have been.
These mistakes can be mostly attributed to our problematic group work. Sadly, not all group members attached the same significance to the work and the miscommunication has also caused problems. It can always be difficult to work in a group with people who all have different opinions but this time it was more than challenging. What we have learned from this group project is the crucial importance of communication.
- Submitted version of text
Joining the EU was the best move that Germany ever made
The purpose of this paper is to argue that joining the EU is the best move Germany ever made. Germany is, alongside Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg and the Netherlands, a founding member of the European Union. Concerning history, after World War II Germany´s aim was to line up the peaceful European countries.This dream of solidarity between European nations came true in 1952. One of the most important individuals for the foundation movement was Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of Germany. He changed the European history more than any other person did by being responsible for reconciliation with France. He and the French general Charles de Gaulle signed a treaty of friendship in 1963. This treaty became a milestone for integration in Europe. In 1992 the Maastricht Treaty, which led to the euro, enabled the already powerful Germany to extend its power and leadership over a politically united Europe.
The current political situation of Germany is undoubtedly determined by Angela Merkel. The first German Chancellor, born after the Second World War, is the most powerful woman in the world and matters more to the future of the European Union than most other politicians do. She is different from any other leading German politicians and unlike any previous leaders of Germany. Due to her political influence and attitude she has not only supporters but also some outspoken critics. Sometimes she is even called the “New Iron Chancellor” because of her determination to impose fiscal discipline on countries with weaker economies as a result of the financial crisis. The euro zone crisis has been the most dramatic challenge for post war Europe and started when Greece revealed an enormous public deficit. Angela Merkel acted accordingly to her quote “if the euro fails, then Europe fails”. She decided to bail the Greek economy out though she made sure that they accepted strict fiscal conditions. Because of this decision she became Europe’s de facto leader. Angela Merkel is a powerful political leader of both Germany and the European Union who does not compromise on the future of Europe.
In terms of economy Germany is nowadays one of the leading industrial powers in Europe and the world's second largest exporter. By being such an influential country it is Germany's economy that has diminished the euro zone´s recession and thanks to its wealth Germany contributes to stabilizing the euro. Germany has profited greatly from the euro. With the adoption of a much weaker currency than the deutschmark a huge rise to German exports was provided. In Germany the level of private debt is relatively low. As a result of higher inflation, some countries such as the UK, Italy, Spain and Portugal, have been obliged to borrow money. However, Germans are uncomfortable with the concept of taking out loans and prefer to live within their own resources. A strong employment protection legislation and trust on behalf of the workforce meant that the Social Democratic government was able to use its close ties with labour unions to push for moderation in wage inflation. While the number of unemployed across Europe and the US increased dramatically during the global recession, the unemployment rate in Germany remained relatively low. A fundamental labour market reform was set in 2003 due to the excesses of post-unification wage increases. These facts mentioned above show that Germany is economically one of the strongest countries in Europe.
When the EU was established it was particularly important for Germany to improve its reputation by becoming a prominent member of the European Union rather than being defined by its history. Ever since, Germany´s situation has changed tremendously as it has become one of the main driving forces behind the EU, both in economic and political terms. Although the peripheral countries of the euro zone are facing hard times, Germany - thanks to its economic stability - will not necessarily suffer from serious losses. However, public opinion does not seem to appreciate this fact unanimously. According to a recent public opinion poll, in case of a referendum the majority (57%) of Germans would vote to stay in the EU, whereas only 25% would vote to leave the EU. Another interesting statistic is that less than two thirds (59%) of Germans consider their country influential in the EU. Concerning the future of the European Union, Germans are rather pessimistic: more than a half (54%) of those surveyed Germans see a negative future ahead of the Union. These facts show that the results of the public opinion polls and Germany’s achievements are not necessarily in accord.
In spite of this progress Germany has made over the past decades, public opinion on Germany’s situation in the European Union is not unanimous. The purpose of the essay was to demonstrate the fact that Germany has benefited tremendously from participating in the foundation of the European Union. Since the beginning of the past century, Europe’s most powerful nation has achieved outstanding success at economy. Although the residents are not not always in favour of the European Union, Germans know that they by remaining in the European Union they will be able to proceed with prospering their economy. German economic model seems to work because of Germany's faith in social market economy and in its historical but useful fear of borrowed money. Because of its strong leaders, Germany is often regarded as “teacher of Europe”. The best strategy for Germany is undoubtedly to stay in the European Union.
[904 words]
- Corrected version of Essay
- New group members:
- Katrin Wiesinger
- Orsolya Csizmár
To be added due Thursday 14:00, as agreed in class.
Joining the EU
was the best move that Germany ever made
Germany benefits greatly from its membership of the
European Union for various reasons. This country has been the driving force behind
the EU for more than 60 years and contributed to the foundation of the EU in
order to pool the coal and steel resources and to prevent future conflicts on
the continent. The Union has played an important role in the consolidation in
Europe after World War I and II. Creating the European Union did not only help
European integration, but also has had positive effects directly on its member
states, especially on Germany. Joining the EU was the best move that Germany
ever made, apart from the traditional EU benefits Germany received, it also
developed economically, especially due to the introduction of the euro as a
common currency of the EU.
The most tangible benefits Germany obtained by joining the European
Union are the four freedoms. This expression comprises the free movement of
people, goods, services and capital across the Union’s internal borders. Thanks
to these benefits all German nationals, as well as all other EU citizens, have
the right to reside, work, study and retire in each of the 28 EU member states.
Besides, it has also become easier and cheaper to do business with other member
countries. Finally, one of the greatest advantages for EU member states, and
especially for Germany, is the fact that EU treaties eliminate obstacles in the
intra-Union trade and thus imports and exports are not restricted.
Consequently, national markets became one single market. As a result, EU
citizens have access to a wider choice of products and to goods with lower prices
due to higher competition between the states.
Although these general advantages of being an EU
member state are not negligible, Germany’s greatest benefit of joining the
European Union is undoubtedly the fact that it has managed to sustain its rapid
economic growth. After Germany recovered from World War II it has become
Europe’s largest and most important economy. Besides, it is also the
continent’s most industrialised nation, being a major player in industries such
as automobile manufacturing. Since Germany’s economy is strongly export based,
it has profited greatly from the Schengen Treaty. Thanks to this treaty the
European Union became a single territory without internal frontiers in terms of
trade, since the agreement stipulates the free movement of both people and
products between the member states. As a result of this integration the
intra-European trade has intensified and, according to the website called Statista,
today 57 per cent of Germany’s exports are delivered to EU member states. In
the era of European integration it has become essential for Germany to play an
active role in the trade of the European Union in order to sustain its
successful economy.
German economic growth does not only benefit to a
considerable extent from being a member of the European Union, but also from
being an integral part of the eurozone. With the adoption of a much weaker
currency than the Deutschmark, German export to other eurozone countries
started to increase. This phenomenon can be attributed to the removal of the
fluctuating exchange rates, which led to a reduction in transaction costs.
Another advantage of the euro for Germany is the high price transparency in the
eurozone, which fosters the competitiveness of German exports. Consequently,
cross-border trade has been flourishing. Although the single currency has had a
positive impact on Germany’s economy, the majority of the country’s population
thinks that their country would be more successful without the euro. However, a
projection model by Prognos AG illustrates that Germany’s GDP would be about
0.5 percentage points lower per year, due to the transaction costs, if the
country decided to introduce a separate currency.
Germany is often referred to as Europe’s industrial
powerhouse or the continent’s biggest economy. In order to maintain this
status, it was necessary for Germany to find suitable markets and to create
better living and working conditions for its citizens, since these aspects
influence and require each other. Joining the European Union was the only
option for Germany to earn more space in economic terms and to ensure the
welfare for German citizens. Thanks to the free movement of goods and the
removal of internal border control due to the Schengen Treaty, Germany’s economy
was able to prosper. Since the adoption of the euro, the country has become
more competitive in Europe and has also saved considerable transaction costs.
Given all these facts it can be deduced that joining the European Union was the
best move Germany ever made.
[797 words]
